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Scripture Reading: Lev. 7:14-21, 29-34; 1 Cor. 10:16-18, 21; 5:11-13
The peace offering always mentions the sprinkling of the blood. As we have pointed out, the sprinkling of the blood in the peace offering is not within the Holy of Holies but around the altar where the people enjoy and partake of the peace offering. This is because when we enjoy Christ, we need the sprinkling of the blood. The children of Israel did not have the right to enjoy the passover lamb without the sprinkling of the blood upon the outside of the house (Exo. 12:7-8). This signifies that the enjoyment of Christ is under the covering of the blood. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table, we must realize that we need the covering of His redeeming and cleansing blood. We have no merit to come to the Lord’s table without His blood.
By reading 1 Corinthians 10 carefully, we realize that the apostle Paul’s intention was to show us that the altar in ancient times was a type of the Lord’s table in New Testament times. The people of Israel had the altar, but today we have the table. They had fellowship over the altar, and we have fellowship over the table. Our table is the altar, and their altar was the table. In the type of the altar, we see clearly that the blood was sprinkled around all four sides of the altar. While they were enjoying something on the altar, they could see the sprinkling of the blood from every side.
Today the principle is the same. Whenever we come to our altar, the Lord’s table, to enjoy and partake of the Lord, we must realize that we need the sprinkling of His blood. Several times the saints have asked me why I always mention the blood when I am praising the Lord around His table. I have been asked this question not only in this country but also in other countries. If you were to ask me the same question, I would know that you do not realize the need of the cleansing blood. No doubt we are already cleansed, but we still need cleansing all the time. We are still in this flesh, and our flesh is fallen. Regardless of how good, how nice, how pure, and how clean you consider your flesh, it is still filthy and fallen. Even if we do not have the consciousness that we are filthy, the flesh is still filthy. No flesh can be justified by the holy God. Therefore, whenever we come to contact the Lord, we need the cleansing blood.
Some may say they have been victorious for many months, and during all this time they did not lose their temper once. Because of this, they may consider that they are very clean and pure. But no matter how good we think we are, we all need the cleansing of the blood for the enjoyment of Christ. Hence, whenever we come to the Lord’s table, we need to apply the blood. To come to the Lord’s table is absolutely different from coming to a restaurant table. The things on the table in the restaurant are common, but the things on the Lord’s table are holy. We, on the other hand, are so unclean. In order to contact these holy things, we need the cleansing of the blood. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table, we must apply the cleansing of the blood for the enjoyment of the Lord.
Another point concerning the peace offering is the difference in the appreciation of the Lord. This is seen in the different sizes of the offerings. Some might offer a cow, a large offering. Others might offer a lamb, which is smaller. Still others might offer a goat. We all know that in the Bible a goat is not good. Sheep are good, but goats are not good (see Matt. 25:32-33). Why then does the Bible present something that is not so good as a type of Christ? Christ, of course, is always good, but sometimes those of us who are the presenters of Christ are not so good. We are not like a lamb but rather like a goat with two horns. Moreover, a goat is rather wild; it is not mild like a lamb. There are times when we realize that the dear one who is offering Christ as the peace offering to God is rather wild. There is the feeling that this presenter is just like a wild goat. He is not gentle like a lamb, but he is rather like a goat.
Christ Himself is the same. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But there can be a difference in our presentation and appreciation of Christ. He is different in the offering not because of Himself but because of us. Sometimes we appreciate Christ as a large cow and sometimes as a little lamb. But I am afraid that most of the time our appreciation of Christ is rather wild and is just like a goat. So we need some improvement. The Lord does not need any improvement, but we need improvement.
There is a real difference in the apprehension, experience, and appreciation of Christ. Therefore, there is a difference in the presentation of Christ. What we offer in the church meetings depends very much upon our daily experience of Christ. If in our daily walk we experience Christ in a certain way, then surely when we come to the church meeting, we will present Christ in that way. If we experience Christ in our daily walk in a mild way, then surely we will present Christ in the meeting in that way. But if we experience Christ daily in a wild way, then, of course, we can only present Christ in the meeting in the same way. What we present in the meetings depends upon what we enjoy and experience in our daily life. If we enjoy Him more, then we can present more. If we enjoy Him less, then we will present less.
We all know that in Christianity, most of the so-called services do not depend upon the presenter. In a sense, they may not have any presenters. Mainly, they have simply the pew members. Since they do not have any presenters, their meetings do not depend upon the members but upon the speaker. If they have a good speaker, then they consider that a good service. If they have a poor speaker, that is a poor service. But the church meeting is different. The meetings of the church do not depend upon a speaker but entirely upon the presenters. We may even have a poor speaker, yet the church can still have the very best meeting. This is because in the church all the presenters are the rich ones. Now we can realize that the church meeting is not a Christianity service but an enjoyable feast of all those who apprehend, experience, and appreciate Christ. They bring the Christ whom they experience to their meeting and present Him to God, and this portion is God’s food.
With the peace offering there is also the wave breast and the heave thigh. The thigh here, as we have mentioned, means the leg. The breast is the loving part, and the leg is the strengthening part. The leg is not only for walking but also for standing. Our standing strength depends upon our two legs. When we are weak, we simply cannot stand. But as long as we can stand, we are sound and strong. This is why the heave offering is so transcendent and powerful.
The breast is the wave offering in resurrection. The love of Christ is really living and weighty. So we have the breast as the loving part of Christ and the thigh as the strengthening part of Christ. The thigh is only for the serving priest, and the breast is for all the priesthood. The wave breast is loving and tender, but it is not as strong as the thigh. This is why the thigh is for the ministering priest. Then the meat of the peace offering is for the presenter, and there is also a portion for the presenter to share with all the clean ones.
Suppose we are the people of Israel and we are having a feast in the Tent of Meeting. There must be some who are the presenters, and surely some should be the priests. In the Old Testament times some were priests and some were common people, but today in the church all are priests. But this can be merely doctrinal and not practical. In doctrine we all are priests, but in practice perhaps only two out of ten are the actual priests. There are some who are just like the common people of Israel, because in the church meeting they do not function. I am afraid that too many attend the meeting with the desire and expectation to get something. They listen to the message and the testimonies, but they never realize that they must serve in the meeting as a functioning priest.
But there are a number of brothers and sisters who do put their shoulder under the Ark of the meetings of the church. They pray and are burdened for the meetings all day long, and when the time comes for the meeting, they are more and more burdened. Therefore, when they come to the meeting, they come to bear something, not just with the expectation to get something. When the meeting seems to be going down, they immediately exercise their spirit to pray that the Lord will uplift the meeting. They are ministering by bearing the responsibility, so they are the active priesthood. Whenever there is an offering in the meeting, these dear ones surely will enjoy the breast as the priesthood. They will enjoy the loving, tender part.
Then from among the active serving ones who are the actual priesthood, there might be two or three who are ministering as I am doing now. I am the present serving one, burning the fat to the Lord. I am the one who sprinkles the blood on the altar. Therefore, I have the right to enjoy the breast, the shoulder, and the extra pieces of the different cakes. I have the right to enjoy the wave offering and the heave offering. As a member of the priesthood, I enjoy the wave breast, and as a serving one, I can also enjoy the heave shoulder and the heave cakes. The more you serve, the more you enjoy. The less you serve, the less you enjoy. If you are not in the actual priesthood, you are just one among the people, and you miss the right to enjoy the wave breast. And, of course, if you are not presently serving, you have no right to enjoy the heave shoulder and the heave cakes.
So we all must be the attendants presenting something in the meeting. We all must bring something as a peace offering to the feast of the church. There is no way that we can borrow an offering from others. What we bring depends entirely upon our experience and appreciation of Christ in our daily life. Day by day, hour after hour, we must spend much time on Christ so that we may have a real harvest of Christ. Then when we come to the meeting, we will have something of Christ to present to God as a peace offering. The hidden part is for God’s satisfaction; the loving part is for the stronger ones; the strengthening part is for the serving ones; and the major part is for all the clean ones. If we all will be faithful in this way, how rich and uplifting our meetings will be, and how different they will be from today’s Christian meetings. I look to the Lord that all the meetings in the local churches will be like this.
Now we must see something more concerning the peace offering. In the appreciation of Christ, there is another kind of difference. Not only is there a difference in size but also a difference in feeling. Some peace offerings are offered as a thanksgiving, and some are offered for a vow or a freewill offering. “From it he shall present one out of each offering a heave offering to Jehovah; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the same day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he presents his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten” (Lev. 7:14-16).
Those who offer the peace offering for thanksgiving are very thankful to the Lord. The Lord has been very good to them, and they are grateful and thankful to the Lord. Therefore, they bring to the Lord a peace offering for thanksgiving. But let me ask a question: Do you think that this kind of offering is very strong in feeling? I believe that most of you might say yes, but I say no. This is the weakest feeling. For me to bring a peace offering to the Lord because He has been so good to me is more or less like making a bargain with the Lord. When Jacob was young, he made a bargain with the Lord like this. He told the Lord that if He would provide for his eating, his clothing, his housing, and protection, then he would do certain things for the Lord (Gen. 28:20-22). It is easy to be thankful to the Lord when He is so good to you. But suppose the Lord is not so good to you. How would you feel then? Some may get a better job, some a better home, some a better car, and some a better degree. Everything is better all the time. Then they will be very thankful to the Lord, and they will come to the meeting with a peace offering for thanksgiving. There is a feeling in this peace offering, but it is not a very strong feeling.
Suppose that when you look for a better home, you eventually get one that is worse. And when you look for a better job, you do not find it, and instead, you lose your present job. What would you do then? Could you still come to the meeting with a peace offering? I do not think so. You simply will not have the peace. But there is another kind of peace offering. This is a peace offering for a vow or a freewill offering. Those who give this offering do not care whether the Lord gives them a better home or not. In fact, they do not care whether the Lord gives them anything. They are just here for the Lord’s recovery. This is a vow to them. The heavens and the earth can flee away, but they are still for the Lord’s recovery. Undoubtedly, this kind of feeling is very strong.
Many times in the meetings, we hear these two kinds of peace offerings. Some offer a peace offering of thanksgiving by saying, “Praise the Lord, He is so good to me. I only expected to get a job paying four hundred dollars a month, but now I have one that pays five hundred fifty dollars a month.” Sometimes, on the other hand, we hear some of the saints say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! We don’t care for this, and we don’t care for that! We are just here for the Lord’s recovery! Lord, what a mercy that we could be here for You!” This is a vow, and it is voluntary. We may lose our job, we may lose many things, yet we are so strong.
The peace offering for thanksgiving is only good to eat for one day. It cannot last longer; it immediately becomes old. “Hallelujah, I have a better car, and the Lord gave me such a good home. I did not ask for this much, but He gave it to me.” This kind of offering is only fresh for the present meeting. Tomorrow it will be old. After we have told the church that the Lord gave us such a good job, we cannot repeat it tomorrow. If we repeat it again tomorrow, no one will listen. It will stink because it is too old. But a peace offering of a vow is good for three days. We can repeat it the next day, and we can repeat it again.
Thus, the peace offering for thanksgiving is much weaker than the peace offering for the vow or freewill offering. The freewill vow is stronger and lasts longer. The difference is in our motive and in our feeling. What kind of motive do we have when we bring Christ into the meeting? Do we only have the motive of thanksgiving, or do we have the motive of a vow? We all must learn to bring Christ to the meeting for a vow. Regardless of whether or not He would do anything for us, we are still for Him. Even if He puts us in prison as He did John the Baptist, we will still praise Him. John was very strong in testifying for Christ, but when he was put into prison, he sent his disciples to ask the Lord if He was really the Christ. In other words, he was saying that if Jesus were really the Christ, He would get him out of prison. But the Lord Jesus told John’s disciples to tell John that He did many things for the blind and the lame, but He would not do one thing for him. He added that John would be blessed if he would not be offended. If we would be offended when the Lord treats us in this way, then we could only offer a peace offering for thanksgiving. We could never offer a peace offering for a vow.
Suppose a young sister who has been hoping for a baby boy for a number of years finally has her “Isaac.” I do believe that this young mother will bring a peace offering of thanksgiving to the meeting. But suppose that after six months, the Lord takes away her “Isaac.” Will this sister still bring a peace offering of thanksgiving to the meeting? I am afraid that it will be a weeping offering. If we are here simply for the Lord to do something for us, we can only offer the peace offering of thanksgiving. But if we are here for the Lord, with a freewill vow for His purpose, we have a strong motive to bring as a peace offering to the meeting. This offering always lasts longer.
Together with this point, there is another aspect. In the presentation of the peace offering, we always need to offer something new and fresh. We should not offer the peace offering that we offered yesterday. We need something new for today. Every day we need some new experiences of Christ. We all must realize that it is not so good to apply our old appreciations of Christ. It is really poor to apply what we experienced two months ago, and it is also not good to apply something of yesterday. We always need some fresh and new peace offerings.
Now we come to the last point. The peace offering is holy. This is why the Lord’s table is really a holy communion. We all must be holy. If we are unclean, we must be cut off from the communion and fellowship of the Body. The peace offering was a type, and the fellowship around the Lord’s table is the fulfillment of this type. First Corinthians 10 tells us that the Lord’s table is the fulfillment of the enjoyment of the peace offering, and in chapter 5 of the same book, Paul tells us that all unclean persons should be put away from the fellowship of the church.
Who are the unclean persons? Paul makes it clear that fornicators are the first ones. Nothing is so dirty and abominable in the eyes of God as fornication. This is a damage and confusion to the proper humanity. It is really unclean in the eyes of God. Those who are involved in fornication must be put away unless they repent and have a real turn to the Lord, applying His precious blood to cleanse away the uncleanness. Otherwise, such unclean persons should never touch the Lord’s table. Paul is even stronger than this. He says that we should not keep company with such unclean persons. Of course, we do not like to have any legal regulations, but many times when I have come to the Lord’s table, I have prayed very much that the Lord would take care of His table. He is the only One who knows the real unclean persons. But we all are responsible to the Lord. It is not a small matter to defile the Lord’s table.
We all must take this matter seriously to the Lord. If we have become involved in some kind of uncleanness, the Lord is merciful and gracious; He is willing to forgive and cleanse us, yet we need to repent. We need to return to the Lord and have a clear dealing and apply the Lord’s blood upon our uncleanness. Otherwise, we are unclean. If we come to the Lord’s table when we are unclean, we do not have fellowship within. Deep within, in our spirit, we are cut off already, because we are unclean or we have touched something unclean. There is some uncleanness upon us. We ourselves may be clean, but the Word says that if we touch something unclean or someone unclean, we are defiled. Therefore, we need to repent, make confession, and apply the Lord’s blood. Some brothers and sisters may become involved in fornication, and if we talk to them in detail about all these things, we too become unclean. We need then to have a thorough cleansing by applying the Lord’s blood.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:21, “You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup: you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the demons’ table.” We cannot partake of the Lord’s table and at the same time partake of something of the demons.
It is very good to have the church meetings as a feast for us all to offer something to God. But there is another aspect that is quite serious. We should never come to the Lord’s table when we are unclean. We must be cleansed by the Lord’s blood and have a complete repentance and dealing with the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul speaks of six sinful things that make us unclean, and in the next chapter he mentions several unclean things again. But he says, “These things were some of you; but you were washed...in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (6:11). So many of us were very sinful, but we were washed; we were cleansed by His precious blood, in His mighty name, and in the Spirit. But if we are still living in some of these unclean things without a real repentance and a real dealing with the Lord, then we are unclean and unworthy to come to the Lord’s table. May the Lord have mercy upon all of us.
